The 2024 Dodgers season is looking hot!
Another new addition to the Dodgers! Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s contract is super impressive for his introduction into the MLB.
The Japanese pitcher has been eyed by several major league teams as a free agent. Yamamoto is a prized pitcher in Japan, winning three triple crowns in a row during his time in the Nippon Baseball League with the Orix Buffaloes. In the past three seasons, Yamamoto’s ERAs were 1.39, 1.68 and 1.16 and over 580 strikeouts. If that isn’t enough, he’s also a three-time MVP in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. The pitcher announced in November he would enter MLB free agency.
There were rumors that the right-hander would land in either the New York Mets or Yankees. GM of the Yankees Brian Cashman said that he would look good in Yankees pinᵴtriƥes. “Yes, I would agree with that,” he told The Athletic. “I personally saw him. We’ve scouted (Orix) extensively. And I think he’s going to be a really successful pitcher anywhere he pitches on the planet. He’s a free agent, and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Cashman, who witnessed the pitcher’s game in Japan where Yamamoto threw a no-hitter recalled of the game, “It was just a really enjoyable experience. The fact that it was a no-hitter was really spectacular. It’s special whether you see that in high school, college, or the pro ranks. It made my trip worthwhile, flying all that way to watch the artistry play out, which was, again, really moving. For him to do that for his fans and his team as they were going through their playoff effort. It was cool.”
What is Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s contract?
What is Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s contract? According to sources to ESPN, Yoshinobu Yamato signed with the Dodgers in agreement on a 12-year, $325 million contract. Yomomoto will receive a $50 million signing bonus, sources said. Unlike Shohei Ohtani’s deal, in which $680 million is deferred 10 years out, Yamamoto’s contract does not have any deferred money. Yamamoto’s deal became the biggest contract for a pitcher in MLB history and just barely beats out the previous record-holder, Gerrit Cole and his $324 million deal with the Yankees.
The deal brings the Dodgers over $1 Billion in contract signings. Earlier in the month, fellow Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani signed his contract with the Dodgers which included“unprecedented deferrals,” including the majority of his salary, which was Ohtani’s idea. Ohtani wanted to mitigate the CBT and cash-flow burdens to let the Dodgers have the flexibility to be competitive and hire more talent, which proved right with Yamamoto. This means he would still be paid well after his contract expires.
Shohei Ohtani’s free agency was also heavily watched by baseball fans alike. MLB Network reported that bidding is “believed well past $500M” for Ohtani’s services, which would be one of the largest guarantees in North American sports history. Ohtani broke Yankees player Aaron Judge’s record $360 million free-agent contract and Ohtani’s current teammate Mike Trout for $426 million as a non-free agency.
On how the multiple contracts signed with The Dodgers will affect the luxury tax, The Athletic reported that “The Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll, according to Fangraphs, stands at about $282 million, or about $15 million below the highest threshold. The team still could trade for another starting pitcher to go with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller. They also might attempt to upgrade at shortstop.”
